The present invention pertains to a suspension unit for a vehicle, in particular, a motor vehicle, preferably with a rigid axle, as well as a method for making a suspension unit for a corresponding vehicle.
Suspension units for motor vehicles are rather familiar from the prior art. They are usually formed from a longitudinal member, which is arranged on a vehicle axle, joined at one end pivotably to a frame element of the vehicle and at the other end spring-mounted, in order to achieve a spring mounting of the vehicle axle. Usually the longitudinal member is clamped or screwed to the vehicle axle in this case, in order to achieve a force fitting between longitudinal member and vehicle axle. Another solution known from the prior art is to fabricate the longitudinal member and vehicle axle from weldable materials, such as steel, and to weld the longitudinal member and vehicle axle to each other.
The problem with the axle suspension units known from the prior art is that they are very costly to produce, they have high defect levels (prone to shrinkage cavities) on account of the generally complicated steel casting when the components are made from weldable material, and can only be subjected to limited mechanical loading (when using clamps or screws).
Thus, the problem of the present invention is to propose a suspension unit for a vehicle as well as a method of making a suspension unit for a vehicle, in particular, a motor vehicle with a rigid axle, by means of which an economical and dependable axle suspension unit is provided, able to withstand high forces and torques.
This problem is solved according to the invention by a suspension unit for a vehicle with the features of claim 1, as well as a method for making a suspension unit for a vehicle with the features of claim 10. Preferred embodiments are the subject of the subclaims.